


A Winning Hand

by Sirenswhisper



Series: Graced [16]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: Card Games, M/M, fluffs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 09:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20691638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenswhisper/pseuds/Sirenswhisper
Summary: Their usual card game.





	A Winning Hand

Cards were a complicated affair in their household. It never ended in rows but had any stickler for the rules been playing a pistol would surely have been pulled by now. They each had their own artful style of play. Miranda with her serene countenance and her quiet sips of wine. James with his crocodile smile that made Thomas swoon. Gates who played the best of any of them. He was known for being the best player in Nassau. Each new crewmember of the Walrus was subjected to an evening of cards with him. Not to prove any points, but because they were the only ones who didn’t know to tell him to sod off at the suggestion. 

Hennessey by comparison, was a cheat. Although no one had caught him at it, there was no question of the matter. Thomas was a breath of fresh air. He cheated as bad as Hennessey but was blatant about it that even regular players were questioning if they’d misunderstood the rules. 

James looked at the cards in his hand that seconds before had belonged to Thomas. Thomas was tapping his teeth as he reviewed the cards he’d taken from James’ fingers. 

“Did you just steal my cards?” James asked. He knew what he’s seen, but still felt the urge for clarification. 

“Hmm?” Thomas blinked at him. “Oh, no. These are my cards now.”

“Better are they?” Gates asked casually. 

“It’s the principle,” James’ tried to reclaim some form of control. But the whole table now knew he had a bad hand. It was a good thing they were only playing for millet. 

“Why do I love you, Thomas?” James sighed. 

“It’s a very long list.” Thomas grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

James turned his head to catch Thomas’ mouth with his own. On his other side Hennessey slipped him a card he could slit into his own hand. It was a good card too, James saw when he sat back. A few slights of hand and he had replaced one of the poor cards with it. It was definitely a card Hennessey would have been intending to use himself. 

They continued playing and it surprised no one when Gates won. He snagged a kiss off Hennessey as his prize and dragged him onto his lap. Hennessey perched with a sailor’s balance for a moment, then shifted and settled himself properly on his husband’s lap. 

James looked to the heavens. “And how are you going to play like that?” James asked. 

Gates grinned and slipped his thumb under Hennessey’s shirt to rub circles over the skin there. Hennessey’s breath hitched at the touches to his ticklish spot and nipped Gates’ ear in retaliation. 

“I fold!” James was up and out of his seat, dragging Thomas with him who grabbed Miranda on their way passed her chair. She stifled a laugh and let James lead the way out onto the porch. 

“Where do you want to go? My treat. Harbour Island? Boston? Paris?” James asked. 

“Campfire on the beach?” Thomas asked. 

“You can tell us stories while we play with your hair.” Miranda agreed. 

“They’re just doing it to torment me,” James whined as they walked further into Nassau. “What did I do to deserve this?” 

Thomas made a sympathetic noise. 

“Could it have been that you parallel parked the Walrus?” Miranda asked. “Don’t act innocent. I heard them yelling at you for that.”

“I had it under control. The anchor chain could handle it.” 

“Jaaaames.” 

“Ok. I’ll stop testing out stunt just to see if they’ll work. For now. I do need to investigate how much I can push the ship though. It’s vital I know how much she can handle. Not all ships are made equal.” 

“Do you think Toulouse is more intelligent than Peter Ashe?” Thomas interrupted James’ justifying. 

It worked as they fell silent to contemplate the question. 

“She is better at getting through windows,” James said. 

“A better listener, too.” Miranda nodded. 

“But does she understand Plato or Marcus Aurelius? Does she believe Medusa was a wronged woman?” Thomas asked earnestly. 

Miranda grinned and linked her arm through his. James pressed a kiss to Thomas’ neck. 

“She won’t argue with you, if that’s what you mean,” Miranda said. 

“That’s what I have you two for.” Thomas put his arms around James’ shoulder.


End file.
